The Ultimate Geek Gift Guide

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The Ultimate Geek Gift Guide

2002 WIRED/TOOLS

A ROBOT IN EVERY ROOM

The home of the present is catching up to futuristic cartoons of the past. Looking for a robot maid? Check out the iRobot vacuum. Want to communicate through your watch? Talk into the WristLinx two-way radio. The flying car? Alas, not yet.

OFFICE/DEN

Who would have thought you could have so much fun in the home office? Start your morning off with RollerCoaster Tycoon, a pinball machine modeled after the videogame. Then mix some music for inspiration on Numark's pro-quality CD player. When it's actually time to work, Sony's space-saving W PC with a fold-up keyboard leaves you plenty of room to get down to business.

ROBOVAC

Don't waste your weekend cleaning house. Program the Roomba's iRobot to do your vacuuming, then sit back and read the Sunday paper. The autocleaner roams around your pad (for 30 to 75 minutes) sucking up dust bunnies and dirt from hardwood floors, carpet, tile, or linoleum. An infrared beam projected onto the floor tells the bot to change direction when it's about to hit stairs or other rough terrain. Meanwhile, a sensor on the vac's bumper keeps it from scuffing walls or furniture. When the bag-free iRobot finishes cleaning a room, it automatically shuts off.

With Panasonic's three-chip mini DV camera, your amateur movies no longer have to look the part. The AG-DVX100 is the only low-cost camera that replicates not just the color balance and contrast of film but also the frame rate. Three recording modes let the camcorder capture video at NTSC's 60 fields per second, a hi-res 30 frames per second, or movie-standard 24. The difference in quality is unmistakable, and manual overrides for zoom, focus, and aperture allow experienced videographers full control.

AG-DVX100: $3,795, www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

BIG-SCREEN STAR

George Lucas shot Attack of the Clones with a high-definition video camera, and now you can play, too. HDBoxx is the first editing system within financial reach of independent filmmakers. (In fact, it may be one of the few times $50K sounds cheap.) The device crunches footage captured on professional digital cameras using dual Pentium 4 chips and stores it on a 360-Gbyte hard drive. Rent a few cameras, sign a few stars, and build a better space movie.

HDBoxx: $49,500, www.boxxtech.com.

SWIVEL IN STYLE

Face it, your wicker chair is tired. It's time to upgrade to a Philippe Starck rocker. The Hula Hoop's polypropylene shell attaches to the chair's support pole through a rubberized roller that lets you rock and tilt without the need for levers. The seat's available in five colors: violet, mellow yellow, orange, and light and dark gray.

Hula Hoop: $595, www.vitra.com.

GRAND ILLUSION

Get the performance of a piano from an instrument far easier to carry through your front door. Yamaha's DGX-500 semiportable keyboard has 88 weighted, touch-sensitive keys that feel and play like a full-size piano. Compare this with other electric keyboards, which have only 44 keys and are made of hollow plastic — nothing like the real thing. The Yamaha has all the digital perks you'd expect, including MIDI and a 3.5-inch disk drive for saving songs and accessing music.

DGX-500: $900, www.yamaha.com.

MOTHER BOARD

The more PC peripherals you have, the more cables you have, right? Not with Microsoft's Wireless Optical Desktop Bluetooth. The keyboard and mouse talk to the included USB transceiver, which can connect to as many as seven wireless devices. The networked gadgets of your choice can swap data at 1 Mbps.

Sony's W is a powerful desktop PC that knows how to get out of the way. Its space-saving design means your system won't sprawl over an entire desk. Created specifically for audiovisual geeks, it features a 15-inch LCD behind its flip-up keyboard and two 3-watt speakers. The 60 gigs of drive space give you plenty of room to upload MP3s and video files. Plus, you can use the DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive for burning CDs and for watching DVDs in wide aspect.

W: $1,599, www.sonystyle.com.

SUPERPHONE

Take pictures, play games, check your calendar — and call anyone in 160 countries. Sony's P800 mobile phone runs on GSM and GPRS networks worldwide and includes an integrated PDA to boot. Share sound snippets and hi-res photos through the phone's wireless Web access. You can even use the impressive 28 Mbytes of flash memory to back up important files from your PC.

P800: $600, www.sonyericsson.com.

STRAIGHT FROM VIDEO

Four roller coasters, a dunk tank with a troll, and a bumper car. What more could you want from a pinball machine based on a videogame? Stern, the world's only pinball manufacturer, reverse-engineered Infogrames' RollerCoaster Tycoon for a wild journey around the amusement park. Like the videogame, this machine sets a pinball loose in a theme park. Score points for taking a spin on some scary rides and maiming stand-up targets.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Pinball: $3,999, www.sternpinball.com.

KITCHEN

These latest gadgets offer smart designs that'll make your time in the kitchen less stressful and, dare we say, more fun. Net-ready touchscreens flip down from under a cabinet or come installed in your fridge door. The Arize Toaster gently oscillates your bagel to the perfect tan. And when the Naked Chef comes over for a kaffeklatsch, Capresso will brew you two a cuppa joe.

STEEP INCLINE

After 5,000 years of brewing tea, who would have thought there was still room for innovation? The clever Globo teapot reclines so you can steep loose leaves to just the right potency. Tilt the glass container back on its handle to immerse the basket of leaves in boiling water. Once the brew looks strong enough, tip the pot forward onto its three legs to lift the leaves high and dry. Designers the world over are probably kicking themselves for not having thought of this first.

Teapot Globo: $75, www.republicoftea.com.

EASY MIXIN'

Think Ben & Jerry's is a little stingy with the mix-ins? With the Arctic Twister, you can create your own flavors. Scoop in your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt, add all the candy, nuts, and fixins your sweet tooth desires, and pull the lever to send everything down the chute. The mixer churns out your soft-serve concoction in seconds. All parts except the electric base are dishwasher-safe, making for easy cleanup.

Arctic Twister: $65, www.blackanddecker.com.

HOME HUB

Refrigerators already serve as a household's information center — the magnetic bulletin boards for lists, notes, photos, and all sorts of data. LG Electronics' Internet Refrigerator takes the idea to the extreme. The 26-cubic-foot fridge is outfitted with a 15-inch touchscreen, a camera, speakers, and a modem port. Order groceries online, watch a Julia Child cooking video, or catch up on your email before grabbing a well-chilled snack. And yes, its fingerproof stainless steel surface is magnetic.

Internet Refrigerator: $7,999, www.lgappliances.com.

SMOOTH CLEANUP

Never scour the nooks of your stovetop again. Bosch's NES 936 Cooktop ditches grime-gathering knobs for the removable mTwist dial. Simply pull off the 2-inch magnetic dial for a completely smooth electric cooktop that's a snap to clean. A white circle on the ceramic glass shows you where to replace the dial after every wipedown. To fire up the stovetop, select a burner via the touchpad and use the mTwist to turn up the heat.

NES 936 Cooktop: $1,209, www.boschappliances.com.

CLEAN OPENING

Wiping the dog's Alpo off your electric can opener before cutting into your lunchtime soup is tricky business. The mechanics get gunked up every time you soak it. Hamilton Beach has the answer: an opener with a snap-off chrome blade that won't rust in the dishwasher. This swanky little number opens both cans and bottles and doubles as a knife sharpener.

Can Opener, $25, www.hamiltonbeach.com.

DAIL-UP ESPRESSO

Not sure how to make a cappuccino? The Capresso C1500 knows. Choose your cup size and dial up one of six brews, and the machine will purify water, grind beans, pressure-brew java, and froth milk. And if you're getting jittery about your caffeine intake, a counter keeps track of all sorts of data, from the number of cups you've brewed to the number of times you've cleaned the machine since first using it.

C1500: $1,299, www.capresso.com.

EASY-BAKE OVEN

Some nights belong to Swanson and some to Iron Chef. Whatever your mood, Samsung's 1,000-watt microwave bakes, broils, toasts, or — you guessed it — nukes your meals. The countertop cooker melds newer tech with toaster-oven features like a pull-down door and baking tray.

Toast & Bake Microwave: $199,www.samsungusa.com.

THE PERFECT TAN

Put an end to blackened crusts. The Arize Toaster uniformly bronzes bread by passing it over red-hot wires. Keeping the bread (up to four slices or two bagels) in motion for about 90 seconds is the secret to a moist interior and a char-free exterior — no single area is hit with too much heat.

Arize Toaster: $70, www.blackanddecker.com.

ON THE FLIP SIDE

Trade the clutter of clipped recipes for Icebox's pull-down touchscreen monitor. Install it underneath a cabinet and pull up recipes from your favorite CD cookbook or food site. While you're at it, email your baking buddies or tune in to the Food Network. And there's no need to worry about spills — the wireless keyboard is waterproof. You can even add closed-circuit surveillance cameras to protect Grandma's prize-winning lemon meringue.

FlipScreen: $2,995, www.iceboxllc.com.

IN SINK

Got a short stack of dirty dishes? If they were piled in a Briva basin, they could almost wash themselves. The stainless steel double sink converts to a dishwasher with a flash-drying cycle that cleans in a jiff. With all grimy surfaces exposed, add regular ol' dishwasher soap, close the cover over the dish rack, and press Start on the control panel. It's perfect for households that frequently need a few dishes done but rarely run up a family-size load.

Briva: $2,499, www.kitchenaid.com.

PURE ELEGANCE

Add-on water filters are understandably popular, but they're awkward — they either hang off the tap or perch next to the sink. The kwcpurejet integrates the extra spout into the fixture itself and tucks the filter under the sink. The water that dispenses from the top spout is purified by a charcoal filtration system that uses cartridges, which last about eight months. The bottom tap serves regular hot and cold municipal water, and if you're in a real hurry, you can run both at once.

kwcpurejet: $648, extra cartridges: $59, www.kwcfaucets.com.

ON THE ROAD

Time to get out of Dodge? You'll want to take the latest road-tested gear with you. XAct's WristLinx keeps you in constant radio contact with loved ones, and Pioneer's in-car nav system — complete with voice-command control and 3-D mapping — keeps you on course. For juice to go, bring along Solo's portable generator — great for cell phones, laptops, and even lights.

HARLEY HIBRID

Corbin's Merlin Roadster is a three-wheeled wonder with the guts of a motorcycle and the heart of a hot rod. Powered by a Harley-Davidson 88-cubic-inch fuel-injected engine, the Roadster gets 35 miles per gallon and cruises up to 100 mph. On top of that, it's freeway legal. Despite its biker roots, it'll have car lovers feeling right at home — while they appreciate the joy of motorcycle parking.

Merlin Roadster: $23,900, www.corbinmotors.com.

DIGITAL COPILIT

Pioneer's newest in-car navigation system brings starship technology to the moving masses: voice-command control, a DVD player, and specifics about 13,000 US and Canadian cities. With the addition of a motorized LCD that collapses into the dash, the nav provides detailed 3-D views and maps.

AVIC-90DVD: $1,900, www.pioneerelectronics.com.

DOGGY ID

Even Fido knows those stamped metal tags are passé. The battery-operated Dog-e-Tag will keep your wandering pooch up-to-date, storing your most current contact info, plus up to 40 lines of text, which appear on a scrolling LCD. Plug in your pup's medical info — and the reward you'll offer if he's found. A standard watch battery powers the tag for about two years.

Dog-e-Tag: $40, www.dog-e-tag.com.

MINI MUSIC

Spend your time uploading MP3s rather than hassling with cables and downloading drivers. The 128-Mbyte Nomad MuVo slides into a computer's USB port, acting like a removable hard drive. The player holds up to four hours of music in its detachable flash memory module. The trade-off? There's no way to add more memory.

Nomad MuVo: $170, www.nomadworld.com.

PORTABLE POWER

Brunton's 10-pound Solo makes loud, oversize generators a thing of the past. This mini machine holds enough juice to run a radio or a cell phone for 32 hours. Recharge the Solo using its fold-out solar panel — it'll take about 10 hours. Or plug it into a car's cigarette lighter for 2 hours or an electrical outlet for 6.

Solo: $649, www.brunton.com.

WATCH YOUR MOUTH

You might misplace a walkie-talkie, but XAct's WristLinx keeps radio contacts close at hand. The Dick Tracy-esque two-way radio carries your convos up to 2 miles over FRS and GMRS bands. If the airwaves are crowded, you can hunt for a clear frequency from among 22 channels to talk to another WristLinx or to more mundane FRS- and GMRS-standard transceivers.

WristLinx: $50, www.xactcommunication.info.

READY TO RACE

Hills got you down? The SingleShot buys you extra kick on tough terrain. The 21-pounder's suspension system replaces the customary down tube with a cable that soaks up shock and releases energy for a faster ride. For hassle-free storage, simply fold the two-wheeler in half — taking it from the maximum 39 inches high and 67 inches long to 28 inches high and 33 inches long.

SingleShot: $2,495, www.slingshotbikes.com.

HOUSING INFLATION

If you're setting up camp when it's dark, windy, raining, or all of the above, you don't want to be fumbling with tent poles. Opt for the Airzone 2 inflatable shelter. Instead of poles, this lightweight two-person tent is supported by a framework of inner tubes that inflate to 20 psi in seconds when you apply a pocket compressor, hand pump, or CO2 inflater. Blow it up, stake it down, and move into your home away from home.

Airzone 2: $249, www.airzonerecreation.com.

BATHROOM

Aaaah, the soothing side of technology: compression wraps for NFL-style at-home rehab; a fiber-optic showerhead that bathes you in four shades of light along with gallons of water; and a Jacuzzi that has a Panasonic plasma TV — and floating remote, no less.

SHOWER SONICS

Finally, surround sound for the great unwashed! The Soundbug, a palm-sized device that plugs into the headphone socket of any CD or MP3 player, generates music by causing vibrations on whatever surface it's suctioned to (say, a bathroom window or a tiled wall). The big plus? You don't need speakers. Originally developed by the US military for use in submarine sonar systems, the technology isn't nearly as good as true surround sound, but it's bound to bring positive vibes into the home. Just keep it dry — it's not waterproof.

Soundbug: $50, www.soundbug-us.com.

THE COLD SHOULDER

Weekend warriors in need of a little TLC can now join the big leagues.

Game Ready's portable cold compress is standard rehab equipment for pro football players — like Jerry Rice. Fill the console with ice to soothe ankles, elbows, knees, and shoulders. Choose from four pressure settings, and monitor temperature via a digital readout.

Game Ready Injury Treatment System: $2,500-3,700 (depending on the number of compression wraps), www.gameready.com.

AQUA VISION

Ondine's space age showerhead bathes you in light as it rains down water. Kick off the show from the wall switch, and marvel as the inch-thick fiber-optic cable transmits the juice of a 75-watt halogen bulb from an external electrical panel to the foot-wide showerhead; then bask in the resulting 270 slivers of filtered rays, from red and blue to yellow. The Ondine sprays out as much as 20 gallons of H20 per minute, but it comes with a flow restrictor that complies with the water regulations of most states.

Electric Light Shower: $3,500, www.ondineshowers.com.

PRIME-TIME BATHING

Jacuzzi's sleek La Scala tub seats two bathers in front of a 42-inch Panasonic plasma screen. The cable-ready TV is protected from steam and water by a thin wall of Plexiglas. Flip through your entertainment options on the integrated Pioneer DVD and CD player with the floating remote. At 83 inches long and 73 inches wide, this Jacuzzi takes up about twice as much space as a standard bathtub.

We all know that kids are the true early adopters. This season's interactive bots and mechanical pets have 'em way ahead of their parents once again. Armed with the Spy Tracker, they'll be able to bust interlopers who invade their space. And, as long as they're rigging up toys like the Hummer H2, a tricked-out remote-control car with a built-in camera, even big brothers better watch out.

UNDERCOVER BOT

It's a young hacker's dream come true — build a robot from scratch, jack it into a PC, and download missions from headquarters (aka Lego's Spybotics Web site or the included CD-ROM). Guide the toy using standard infrared remote control and the bot's internal light and touch sensors. The site includes plenty of kid-friendly action and role-playing games, encrypted chat, and special robot tips.

Spybot Snaptrax S45 (ages 9 and up): $60, www.spybotics.com.

FAUX FUR

FurReal is surreal. Scratch this cyberpet's cheek, and it'll lean into your hand and purr. Grab its tail, and the pseudocat will hiss until you calm it with affection. Unlike Furby and Aibo, FurReal cats were designed to look lifelike, meaning they're both cuter and creepier.

FurReal Friends (ages 6 and up): $35, www.tigertoys.com.

SURF AND TURF

Get wet and wild with MGA's versatile racer. On the ground, use the remote to hit speeds of 6 mph, swing 360s, and climb over rough terrain like grass and rocks. Drive the vehicle into water, press the Sea button, and the truck retracts its wheels and kicks out twin-prop turbos for surface cruising. The battery pack stays dry in the toy's cockpit.

Land-Sea RC (ages 7 and up): $70, www.mgae.com.

MINOR REPORT

You're never too young too start worrying about home security. Wild Planet's motion detector kit lets kids place three remote sensors in strategic positions and track enemy movements on the base station. The system's flashing LEDs and voice warning signals indicate when the perimeter has been breached. The sensors work indoors and out, up to 75 feet from the base — and even through walls.

Spy Tracker System: $26, www.wildplanet.com.

WIRE-FREE KINGDOM

Don't let the cute looks fool you: This walkie-talkie packs a punch. Manufactured by Motorola, this sturdy two-way radio holds onto its frequency for up to 2 miles when used outdoors and throughout even the biggest house. Disney's brandmongers have even included ring tones from characters in Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and Lilo & Stitch.

Disney Two-way Radios: $60 a pair, www.motorola.com/radios/disney.

HUMVEE TV

It looks like your typical over-the-top remote-control toy — a monster truck with working headlights, adjustable front-wheel alignment, and front and rear suspension. But the Hummer H2 also houses a digicam, which is concealed by tinted windows. Watch your off-road hijinks from the controller's 2.5-inch monitor, which receives live color video from the Hummer via a 2.4-GHz radio frequency. The SpyCam comes with a rechargeable battery, but running time is just 20 minutes.

Hummer H2 SpyCam (ages 8 and up): $500, www.nikkoamerica.com.

COMPLETE CONTROL

Steel Battalion combines the precision of flight simulators with the adrenaline rush of explosive sci-fi bot battles. The Xbox game comes packaged with the king of controllers, which includes foot pedals, two joysticks, and 40 buttons — including, believe it or not, one for washing the windshield. Mastering it should earn you (or a teen you know) an honorary degree in astrophysics.

The Kek Powerizer is a mecha — a giant robot powerful enough to go head-to-head with Godzilla. This interactive action figure has an LCD that lets kids play up to 22 preloaded games. The figure itself serves as the controller — tilt him forward to dive, twist him right to turn, extend his arm to thrust. Sensors inside the bot pick up embedded sound codes from the tie-in Galidor TV series, Web site, and videogame whenever the bot is near the speakers.

Kek Powerizer (ages 4 and up): $60, www.lego.com.

BEDROOM

Upgrade your bedroom with the latest in creature comforts. Panasonic's new phone system can keep unwanted calls at bay while you kick back and watch an affordable, lightweight big-screen TV. Snuggle up to Natural Balance's corn-based bedding — it's as soft and warm as down, but hypoallergenic. And when you need some discreet tunes that still sound good, turn on Brookstone's Wafer stereo.

SCREEN GODESS

Until now, if you wanted a lightweight, high-end television you didn't have many options. You could go with a pricey flatscreen or a big, rear-projection TV that could easily weigh more than 200 pounds. Fortunately, Samsung's 43-inch HDTV screen tips the scale at only 66 pounds, and it's cheap enough that you won't have to break the bank. The display achieves that flat-panel look by reflecting light from a 1-inch-square DLP microdisplay inside.

HLM437W: $3,999, www.samsungusa.com.

RINGMASTER

Tired of waking up whenever telemarketers call? Panasonic's cordless phone and bed-stand alarm system is automatically disabled during your designated sleeping hours. The additional compact 2.4-GHz handset (far right) lets you wander up to a mile from the phone's base, and it has a 50-number directory that can be shared — or not — with up to seven additional phones. Rest assured that none will disturb your sweet dreams.

Set the mood in any room with Color Kinetics' LightTro, the first screw-in bulb that changes colors. A microprocessor inside the 2-watt bulb controls an LED board, which kicks out scores of colorful shades. Choose one of three bulb shapes and between dial or button (shown) color-changing controls. When you're tired of psychedelics, switch to a soft-white setting.

LightTro: $25-30, www.cksauce.com.

RELAX YOUR BACK

Can't reach that nasty knot in your back? The J-shaped Waterpik electric massager rotates 360 degrees, so you can give your deltoids a once-over without straining your shoulders. A clip-on attachment is made to work specifically on your neck; interchangeable tips let you go from simple kneading to serious shiatsu. And at about 3 pounds, the AccuReach Plus won't feel like a burden in your hand. AccuReach Plus: $70, www.waterpik.com.

SOUNDING BOARD

Want to know how Brookstone's Wafer stereo gets away with being so thin while still sounding so good? Its flat-panel speakers break free from the traditional enclosed cabinet and allow music to vibrate over their entire surface. The omni-directional subwoofer, meanwhile, pumps out crystal-clear low-end base. Its slim profile won't cramp your style.

Wafer: $275, www.brookstone.com.

EDITING, TIVO STYLE

Toshiba built this workhorse with video editing in mind. Connect your DV camcorder or laptop to the four line-in ports and upload footage to the unit's 80-gig internal drive. Use the included remote to slice and dice your film, and then burn it onto disc using the included DVD recorder. The RD-X2 also works like TiVo, allowing you to record up to 75 hours of The Sopranos straight from television. With its Chase TV Recording and Time Slip features, you can pause or rewind live broadcasts as you're recording them. Sports fans will love the One-Touch Replay, which shows the previous 10 seconds of a recording.